Key to my Past
by Fire Sidoni
Summary: A girl runs away looking for her brother and befriends the newsies. On hold indefinitely due to writer's block - sry!
1. DISCLAIMER

Oops, I forgot to put this up earlier. Note: this is for the entire story.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, and never will. (I used to, but they stole the deeds! j/k) I also do not own Fingers, Mouth, Spark, Slider, or Sprite; they own themselves. (Of course, I don't think I would want to own Slider. Please don't send the happy bunnies!) The only person I actually own is Firecracker. I also don't own the Rainbow Connection song.  
  
Oh, and go check out my friends' stories: Mouth da Incredible, SparkHiggins, AaronLohrLover24, and Slider.  
  
(But if you accuse Spark of plagiarizing on Wish Upon A Star, you no get updates!)  
  
(Spark: Sheesh! Can nobody give any positive reviews anymore? It seems like everyone's focus is on finding similarities between stories and then harassing authors about them! That's really annoying, when you spend a lot of time working on stories that are original and people keep saying either "You copied the entire story from _____" and/or "This is way too cliché." (They know who they are, and I am currently planning on stalking them! MUAHAHA!!!) (They/Them being certain people in a certain problem with Wish Upon A Star) Even worse is when they're too cowardly to put their real name on a review, and instead use some anonymous name! *cough(annoyed)cough* Doesn't that just make you want to scream?) 


	2. Chapter 1

"Dad! Let me go! I'se was just coming back ta get a couple of things! It's not like I would evah come back ta stay, da way you'se used ta beat me. I don't blame Alex for leaving; in fact, I'se wish I'd left wid him!" He didn't even respond, probably because he was too drunk to even register that I had said anything, just repeated his earlier scream of "Git out a dis house! I never want to see you again!" When I moved towards my room instead of the door, he pulled out a piece of rope and started moving menacingly toward me. I was a pretty good fighter, but I had learned before not to mess with him when he was drunk. I only had one option: I ran to my room and threw my most important possessions into a small bag. I made sure I had my Bible, a necklace that was nothing more than a small silver key on a string, the only thing I had from Alex, and a couple other small things. Since I didn't figure I could make it past my dad, I ran to the window and jumped out, since we lived on the first floor. I never looked back, kept running for a long time, my reddish-brown hair flying behind me, until I finally collapsed in an alley, exhausted and worn out. I was almost asleep when I heard a voice near me, and it didn't sound friendly. "Well, well, what have we heah?" I jumped up and quickly located the source of the voice; there were two big thugs standing in the mouth of the alley, advancing menacingly towards me. "Let's just see what's in da bag, goilie!" One of them grabbed at my bag, and managed to get it away from me. He started to open it, and I exploded. "WHO DO YA CREEPS THINK YA ARE! GIMME BACK MY BAG RIGHT NOW YA OVAHGROWN APES!!!" The taller one smirked. "I'd like ta see ya try!" I didn't answer, just started punching and kicking them both, catching them by surprise. I've always been good at dodging, so they only managed to get a couple of hits in before I grabbed my bag and ran. I managed to get past them, but they kept chasing me. I ran into another alley, hoping I could lose them at the other end, but realized I had made a big mistake: I was in a dead-end alley, and the thugs were already there, and I realized my only option was to try to fight my way out. Just then I was grabbed from behind by one of them, while the other one put on brass knuckles. 'Oh shit!' was the only thing I could think, much less say. I guess they had done this a lot before, because the guy holding me wouldn't let go no matter how much I struggled. The last thing I remember was Brass Knuckles hitting me over and over until I fainted.  
  
(A/N: I know, it's not newsies yet, but they show up in the next chapter.)  
  
(A/N 2: I changed a lot in this chapter because some of the info clashed with later stuff. Also, chapter 3 was accidentally posted as chapter 1, so I fixed that.) 


	3. Chapter 2

The first thing I was aware of was voices; from the sound of them, they were very close to me. Talking about... me? "She doesn't look too good, guys. I think we'd better take her back to the Lodging House." It was a guy, I could tell that much from his voice. I managed to force my eyes open, and I saw three teenage boys nearby, dressed in old stained clothes. The one who had just been talking was about medium height, with dirty blond hair and an eyepatch. One of the other boys was fairly short and had curly brown hair, and the other one was somewhere in between the two for height, and had straight brown hair. The last thing I noticed before fainting again was that the last guy looked somewhat Italian.  
  
When I next woke up, the first thing I saw was Eyepatch and his friends talking to a tall guy who looked about 17 with a battered black cowboy hat hanging down his back. Apparently, Eyepatch was trying to explain to this other guy, who I kind of assumed was a leader of some sort, why I was there. "We saw the Delancey brothers running out of an alley, and we were checking to make sure they hadn't hurt anybody too badly, and we saw her lying unconscious on the ground. She was in really bad shape, and we couldn't just leave her there, because then she would most likely get taken to the Refuge, and we all know they don't exactly have great medical care there. Come on Jack, what were we supposed to do, leave her there to die?" I decided to speak up.  
  
"I appreciate your concern, but where am I and who are you guys?" They all jumped a mile, not realizing I was awake. Then Eyepatch spoke. "You're in the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House, and I'm Kid Blink, or just Blink, the guy with the cowboy hat is Jack Kelly, or you can call him Cowboy, he," pointing to the curly haired guy, "is Mush, and the other one is Racetrack, or Race. We've told you our names, now how about telling us yours?"  
  
"My few friends call me Firecracker, partly for my hair, but mostly for my temper. I don't get angry too often, but when I do, it's best to run. How long have I been out?" "Several hours," called Racetrack from the floor where he was starting up a poker game. I started to sit up so I could look around, and immediately wished I hadn't. I hurt everywhere, my head was spinning, and I felt like I was going to throw up. "Hey, you okay?" one of them called. Weakly I shook my head no. "Bathroom," I managed to croak. Someone ran over and carefully helped me to the bathroom. I made it just in time to lose everything I had eaten for dinner the night before. I felt someone holding my hair back and supporting me. "Feel any better now?" he said, and when I turned around I saw Blink. "Thanks, and yes I do feel a bit better now," "Good, but I think you should probably get back to bed now," I didn't say anything, just nodded. When I got back to the bed, I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.  
  
I was woken once more by a sound like a herd of elephants charging up the stairs, bellowing and trumpeting the whole time. I heard the door burst open, and suddenly the sound swelled to the point that I felt like my head would split in two from a headache. When I could no longer stand it, I let out a low groan. Immediately, the room went dead silent, and everyone stared at me.  
  
"Guys, this is Firecracker. We found her in an alley, where the Delancey brothers had just finished soaking her, and we brought her back here." 'So that's who those bums were,' I thought as many of the boys I didn't know nodded in understanding. One of them called out "Hey Blink, does Kloppman know she's here yet?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen him since we got back."  
  
"Good luck convincing him to let her stay, even if it's just until she gets better." Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Okay, I have a couple of questions. First of all, who is this 'Kloppman' you guys are talking about? And more importantly, I would kind of like to know WHO YOU GUYS ARE!" Blink opened his mouth, about to answer my questions, when Jack cut him off. "In answer to your first question, if you remember, you are in the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House, and Kloppman runs the Lodging House. For your second question, that is David, also known as Davey or the Walking Mouth, and the kid next to him is Les, David's little brother. They don't live here, but they sometimes act like they do. You've already met Blink, Mush, and Race. Next to them are Skittery, Bumlets, Jake, Snitch, Swifty, Crutchy, and Snipeshooter. Over there are Dutchy, Specs, Snoddy, Pie-Eater, Itey, and Boots." "Okay, but I warn you, I am not very good at remembering names." Everybody drifted off into other things after a minute, but thankfully at a reduced volume.  
  
Suddenly, I remembered something. "Blink!" I said, shaking his shoulder urgently, "Did any of you get a bag out of the alley?" Before he could answer, Race cut in with an "I did." When I asked him where he put it, he said he had put it under the bed I was in. With a hurried "Thanks," I ran over to "my" bunk and grabbed the bag from under it, nearly ripping it in my rush to get it open. I peeked inside. Thankfully, everything was there. I pulled my key necklace out and put it on when I was sure nobody was looking, slipping it under my shirt, as I had several friends who had made the mistake of wearing favorite necklaces in plain sight and no longer had them.  
  
I tapped Blink's shoulder. "Is it possible to get to the roof here?"  
  
"Yeah, there is. Why?"  
  
"I was wanting to go outside for a little while, preferably somewhere quiet."  
  
"Okay, I can definitely understand that, considering that the only times it's quiet is when nobody's here or everybody's asleep. Here, I'll show you." With that, he helped me crawl out the window and up to the roof, where he offered to leave if I wanted to be alone. I gratefully accepted, and told him I would be back down in 15 minutes, tops. As soon as his head had disappeared from sight, I lay on my back and looked at the stars, holding my key against my cheek. My key... my only link to my past... or my brother.  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
It was a couple of months after our mother had died, and our dad had started beating my brother, Alex, because he thought that the two of us, but mainly Alex, were responsible for our mother's death. He was the one who killed her! He was the one who spent so much time away from his family that he didn't realize that she was sick, that she was dying, and that a seven year old boy and a five year old girl had no money for a doctor, and no way of getting it! Alex was never the type to take that type of stuff off of anybody, and within a week, he ran away. Right before he left, he gave me half of an old-fashioned key, saying he had the other part. He told me that if Dad ever started beating me that I too should run away. He promised that he would try to stay around Brooklyn or Manhattan, and to try to find him if I did run. His last words to me were "I'll see you again someday... I promise."  
  
*END FLASHBACK*. 


	4. Chapter 3

Alex... I didn't know what he looked like now, or if he was even alive still. After all, I hadn't seen him for ten years. Without even realizing it, I started singing one of our favorite songs. My voice was one of the few things I had inherited from my mother, and I loved singing.  
  
~**BLINK'S POV**~ I was watching a poker game in the middle of the floor involving Race and an extreme losing streak when I suddenly heard something. It sounded like... someone was singing! I hissed at the other boys to shut up for a minute and listen. The voice was smooth and rich, and suddenly I recognized it: that was Firecracker singing!  
  
Why are there so many,  
  
Songs about rainbows,  
  
And what's on the other side?  
  
Rainbows are visions,  
  
But only illusions,  
  
And rainbows have nothing to hide,  
  
So we've been told and some choose to believe it,  
  
I know they're wrong,  
  
Wait and see.  
  
Someday we'll find it,  
  
The Rainbow Connection,  
  
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.  
  
Who said that every wish,  
  
Would be heard and answered,  
  
When wished on the morning star?  
  
Somebody thought of that,  
  
And someone believed it,  
  
And look what it's done so far.  
  
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing,  
  
And what do we think we might see,  
  
Someday we'll find it,  
  
The Rainbow Connection,  
  
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.  
  
(The Rainbow Connection, verses 1-2, from the Muppet Movie.)  
  
FIRECRACKER'S POV  
  
When I finally headed inside, I wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into several people just inside the window before realizing that almost the entire LH was crowded around the window, staring at me open-mouthed. At first I didn't realize why they were out there, until someone finally said "Wow. That was really, really good! Your name should be Angel or something instead of Firecracker, cause you sing like one!" With that, the room suddenly burst into sound, most of it agreeing with whomever said that. I couldn't help blushing, even though I didn't think it was anything near that good. After that, I managed to get to my bed, though I practically had to fight my way there, and fall onto it, asleep almost immediately. 


	5. Chapter 4

(A/N: YES!!!!!!!! I GOT MY FIRST REVIEW!!!!)  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Newsies, okay? You know that, I know that, do you have to rub it in? Besides, if you sue, all you'll get is an old notebook with pieces of stories and about *checks wallet* eight dollars, and if you're mean enough to sue, you get it all in PENNIES!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!  
  
SO's: SparkHiggins: YAY!!! Thanx for da reviews, Sparky-goil! (Sorry, couldn't resist! I probably shouldn't do that if I want more reviews, but oh well!) Oh, and I hope you don't mind if I use you in this! If u do, tell me! If you had taken down Wish Upon A Star, I would have been very sad, and when I am very sad, I can't update! (Or review very much for that matter!) Hey, do you think Joan and I could convince u & Slider to come on the "BUS Night?" *snicker* Actually, I don't know if that would be such a smart combination - Slider and a bus? U weren't there on the bus ride to that concert with Joan, but it was so much fun, making everyone look at us like we were crazy. (Okay, so we were, but who cares?)  
  
Chronicles Bailey: Thanks for the review! I'm not going to do that, especially since, for one thing, she doesn't even remember what her brother looks like, and for another, I'm not even sure if Spot is going to be her brother! I am currently trying to- *is cut off as random muse stuffs pizza in her mouth to shut her up, then disappears* Sorry - guess you'll just have to wait and see! (Evil, aren't I?)  
  
(A/N: Spark, Slider, Fingers, and Mouth: sorry about not asking you guys first. If you want me to take you out or rewrite you somehow, tell me and I will.)  
  
I woke up the next morning to an older man yelling at somebody.  
  
"Why didn't you at least mention to me that she was here?!?"  
  
"I tried to find you several times yesterday, but I couldn't." Blink stated calmly, as both Race and Mush agreed.  
  
"Fine, I guess I have to believe you, but she can't stay here."  
  
I was rather upset at this, but I didn't show it. "Excuse me, sir. If I can't stay here, where can I stay? I hope it's not the street."  
  
"Actually, there is a girls' LH about a mile away. You can go there, unless you have any objections?"  
  
"Uh, Kloppman?" David asked, "Shouldn't she stay here for a little while, after getting soaked like that?" 'Sheesh, rub it in my face, why doncha,' I thought.  
  
"You're right, David, but after that, she's leaving."  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Kloppman, but do I not get a say in this? I would kind of like to know why I can't stay here."  
  
"He doesn't trust all of us around you," someone piped up from the edge of the room, where I now noticed most of the LH watching us.  
  
"I do trust most of them, it's just there are one or two I'm not so sure about yet," he said, ignoring the earlier comment, "and I don't really want to see whether or not I'm right."  
  
"Okay, I guess I understand now." I turned away, slightly. I caught Blink's eye and, rolling my eyes, I went to go get dressed.  
  
~ 1 week later ~  
  
I peeked at Blink out of the corner of my eye, then returned my attention to our surroundings, in case I needed to find the boys' LH alone. I was on my way to the girls' LH, and Blink had volunteered to walk me there. Neither of us had said anything since leaving a few minutes ago, and the silence was getting uncomfortable. Finally, I asked him about the leader at this LH.  
  
"I don't know that much about her; basically, all I know is her name and her second-in-command."  
  
"So? Tell!"  
  
"Well, her name is Slider and her second's Spark."  
  
I stopped dead. 'No way! Slider... and Spark?' I managed to say, "You're sure that's their names?"  
  
"Totally sure. Why?"  
  
"I... I used to know some people with those names."  
  
"Really? Wonder if they're the same people?"  
  
"I don't know, but I do know that I want to find that out!" I started running, grabbing Blink as I passed him. We kept running for a minute or two, then Blink signaled to stop.  
  
"Well, here we are. You want to go in first or should I?"  
  
"You first," I said, gasping slightly from the run. "I'll be right behind you."  
  
"Hello?" he called, opening the door. "Slider? Ya here?"  
  
"Yeah, considering I'm standing right by you!"  
  
"Slider, ya remember what I told you about a new girl?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, you only told me yesterday! So what about her? The happy bunnies kidnap her?"  
  
"Actually, Slider, I would like you to meet-"  
  
I cut him off. "Slider? Is that you?"  
  
"Who- wait a minute. That voice- I know ya from somewhere, I just don't know where."  
  
"I should hope you would," I said wryly, stepping out from behind Blink. "Remember me now?"  
  
She just stared at me for a second, open-mouthed, and then whirled on Blink. I covered my ears, knowing what that look meant.  
  
"DID IT NEVER OCCUR TO YOU TO TELL ME JUST WHO THIS NEW GIRL WAS? HAVE THE HAPPY BUNNIES STOLEN YOUR BRAIN?" She turned back to me. "Firecracker! I thought you moved to Chicago! I haven't seen you in several years!"  
  
"Well, technically, I did, but my dad decided that his business was better off back here in New York. Business, as in he found a woman here that he likes for her looks only. She's basically an ice statue in a human costume, and she's one of the reasons I ran away. They're getting married." Before Slider could say anything, we heard many feet pounding down the stairs.  
  
"Hey Slidah, who's the unlucky victim this time? We heard you screaming at somebody, who-"  
  
"Mouth, Fingers, Spark, there's somebody I'd like you to meet. Especially you, Spark. This is Firecracker."  
  
"Firecracker? I haven't seen you in years! You're back from Chicago? I thought your dad said you'd never come back to NY!"  
  
I couldn't help laughing. "It's great to see you again Spark! And as for why I'm back, well, that's a long story. I'll tell you all the full thing later."  
  
"Am I the only one here who is really, really confused right now?" I jumped; I had forgotten Blink was there in the excitement of seeing Slider and Spark again. I had to laugh as Fingers and Mouth chorused "No." "Good, so why don't you explain exactly what is going on here?"  
  
Slider sighed, looking at me, then rolled her eyes. "Okay, well if you couldn't already tell from our little conversation, Spark and I have known Firecracker for a long time. She moved to Chicago a couple of years ago, and neither Sparky-goil nor I knew she was back. I miss anything?" she asked, turning to us. When we shook our heads, she continued. "The three of us were really good friends, and we practically grew up together. Then, her father was possessed by happy bunnies gone bad and forced her to move to Chicago."  
  
I grinned and shook my head slightly. Slider hadn't changed a bit. "Oh, and by the way Sli, were you ever planning on introducing these girls?"  
  
"Probably not. I'm Mouth, and that's Fingers." Mouth was fairly tall with long, frizzy, bright red hair, and Fingers was about medium height, with long brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. "So, since you said something about telling us later, I'm guessing you're the new goil Sli was talking about? Come on, I'll show you the bunkroom. 


	6. Chapter 5

SOs: AaronLohrLover24: YES!!! U R COOL!!! GO PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK SPARK WAS PLAGIARIZING! (I call these people the sane group. An oppressed minority.) (This is an opinion, so if you think she was, don't kill me!) Oh, btw, do you want to be in this? I need more people. You can even be with the guy of your choice! (I'm guessing it's Mush. Yes?)  
  
Shortie: OK, first of all, you don't have to be so rude about it! This is my first story. I'm sorry if you think it's cliché, but I like it the way it is. I also wish you could have said the 'good stuff' differently; 2 out of 3 were really more negative than positive, and the only positive thing was spelling and grammar. I'm sorry you don't like it, but no one is making you read this. Oh, and the reason Firecracker is really weird (even though you didn't directly ask) is because she is based fairly closely on a real person: ME!!! I had absolutely no intentions of making her the "perfect little person," but instead I am going to make her realistic.  
  
"So, Spark, Sli, what's happened since I left? Oh, and Sli, how close are you to finishing that plot to take over the world?" (A/N: Don't ask. Also, don't complain about it in reviews. Inside joke.)  
  
"Well, about the plot, I'm getting pretty close to done. There are just a couple of small problems, such as getting the happy bunnies to stop striking, and getting enough giant Q-tips filled with metal balls to equip my army. Currently, the army is, uh, Spark, Fingers, Mouth, and me. And you, if you still want to help." (A/N: once again, don't ask, don't complain.)  
  
I couldn't help laughing. "Sure, why not. So I guess I should ask Spark what's been going on."  
  
"Well, you remember how, just before you left, the three of us became newsies? Right after you left, we met Fingers, and so the three of us stuck together after that. We met Mouth just about a year ago, and about a month ago, the four of us decided to start a girls' LH. We haven't gotten any other members yet, but we really need more people, or we can't keep the LH running."  
  
I winced. "Ouch! So, do you know of any other girl newsies in Manhattan? For that matter, do you know any girl newsies in any close territories?"  
  
"Yeah, we know a couple, but we're having trouble convincing anyone to join, since we have Sli. We've had several possible people, but Sli made them think twice about joining. Do you know anybody?"  
  
I laughed. "I've only been with the newsies a week, and the boys have kept me inside most of the time. Before that, my dad barely let me have any friends, much less go anywhere around the city alone, and since he has some grudge or something against all newsies, I was barely allowed to even talk to any newsies."  
  
"Bummer!" exclaimed Mouth. "Who is your father? It sounds kind of like he at least used to be pretty high-class, keeping you from making friends with newsies."  
  
My face darkened. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I would also suggest that you not mention it unless you want to see the reason I got the name Firecracker. Let's change the subject for now."  
  
"Okay, so what do you want to talk about now?"  
  
I yawned. "Right now, I would like to go to sleep. It's got to be close to eleven." I yawned again, then fell onto my bed. The last thing I remember thinking was that there was a crack in the ceiling that looked like a map of New York City.  
  
(A/N: I know, it's short, but Firecracker and I are both tired. I will continue soon. Maybe even tomorrow, if you're really, really lucky.) 


	7. Chapter 6

And now it's time for... SOs!  
  
SparkHiggins: sorry about not mentioning you in SO last chappie! Yes, giant Q-tips... crazy memories of 6th grade English! (Zzz... :) I'm finally back, and obviously posting now, so update more!!!  
  
AaronLohrLover24: You show up in this chapter! (Mush comes next chapter...^_^)  
  
Slider: Uh, yeah!!! That's how it is in real life! : (j/k) (I think) Please don't attack me with happy bunnies! So, bus night sounds good, huh? I'll be sure to ask Katie to reserve you a seat! MUAHAHA! )  
  
The next morning, everyone was exhausted. However, we woke up the rest of the way when we opened the door and somebody fell on our feet. It was an older girl, around 16 would be my guess. Her red-blond hair was wild and messy, like she had just been running, and my suspicions were confirmed a moment later, when I heard heavy breathing.  
  
"Help... hide... bulls... didn't... do... it..." she panted.  
  
Slider and Mouth sprung into action at the mention of the bulls. They half- helped, half-dragged her to a section of wall along the back of the lobby, glanced around quickly, then pulled open a section of wall to reveal a secret room. It wasn't large, but it could hold several people easily, with a single bunk inside. They practically dumped her on it, running back out and shutting the wall. Just by looking at it, it was impossible to tell that it was anything but an ordinary wall.  
  
Suddenly, there was a banging at the door, and it sprung open to reveal one of the bulls and an older man who I didn't recognize. It appeared, though, that the others had. I heard Slider swearing violently under her breath, and Spark, Mouth, and Fingers froze, unable to do anything, until the bull spoke.  
  
"You kids seen anyone running by? A girl with red hair, about 16? She's wanted for murder by the police."  
  
"No, sir, we haven't," Slider replied, quite innocently. (A/N: HAH!!! Sorry... carry on!) "We'll tell you if we see her, though."  
  
"Well... okay. Be sure you do, though."  
  
After they had left, it took a moment before everybody started moving again. When they finally did, I asked something that had been bothering me. "Hey, who was that man? He looked vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place him." Fingers looked at me, her eyes hollow. "You used to live here and you don't know who that is? That's Warden Snyder."  
  
I gasped as I realized what she was saying. "But... but... I thought he got locked up? After the strike? It made front page in Chicago. He... DID get locked up... didn't he?"  
  
Slider answered, looking somber. "No, he never even went to jail. Apparently, he had some influence with the judge for his case, and he got off with a minor fine. Ever since then, he's had a personal grudge against newsies." I couldn't say anything, I was so shocked. Finally Mouth broke the silence.  
  
"Hey, guys, we better go check on the mystery girl." We went back and opened the panel, only to have her nearly repeat her earlier performance of falling on our feet; I could see that she had been listening at the panel. Her eyes were wide with horror.  
  
"Shit! Snyder's chasing me personally? Oh SHIT!"  
  
Curious, I asked, "Can I ask ya a couple questions? One, who are you? Two, why were the bulls chasing you? Three, what happened that has Snyder personally mixed up in this? Four, why are you here?" She managed a small smirk at the speed I delivered the questions before answering.  
  
"Okay, my name is Sprite, the bulls are chasing me because my parents were murdered and they think I did it. I'm here because I need to hide, because I want to be a newsie, and because I've heard there's someone here who tends to scare most people off. It's nice to know I'm not the only one." At this, everyone's heads swiveled towards Slider, who innocently asked what we were staring at. "Finally, the reason Snyder is mixed up in this is because- because-" she mumbled something. "What?" "I said, Snyder is my mother's brother. Yes, that creep is my uncle. Kick me out if you must."  
  
Spark smirked. "If we did things like that, I'm betting most of the newsies wouldn't be newsies. Most of us have a shameful relative that we wish would disappear, but the rest of us don't care. We don't discriminate because of that. Now come on, everybody, or all the papes will be gone by the time we get there. Race ya!" With that, we all laughed and headed out the door to the DO. 


	8. Chapter 7

(A/N: I'm really sorry about not updating in so long. I can explain in one phrase: teachers are evil!!!!!!!)  
  
After we had gotten our papes at the DO, Mouth, Sprite and I were standing by the gate, waiting for some of the others to finish getting their papes.  
  
In line, we had agreed that I would sell with Mouth, since I hadn't sold in a while; now the only problem was finding someone to sell with Sprite and show her the tricks of selling. Slider usually sold alone, and had already gone on. Everybody else had already promised to sell with someone else, and Sprite had insisted that they didn't need to abandon their selling partners.  
  
As we were trying to figure out what to do, I noticed that Sprite wasn't paying attention. I followed her gaze, and laughed silently. After quietly telling Mouth that I didn't think we had to worry anymore, I called, "Hey, Mush! Come over here after ya get your papes! I need to ask ya somethin'."  
  
As he was walking over to us, I whispered to Sprite, "Ya don't mind, do ya?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind, you'll see in a minute." I turned to Mush. "Hey, would ya show Sprite around, teach her to sell? We're having trouble finding her a selling partner." "Sure," he shrugged. I turned back to Sprite, grinning.  
  
"That's what." Her expression shifted to one of joy, and it looked like she was about to scream in delight. "Go on, Mush is waitin' for ya!" She practically skipped away, and her smile was so big it would probably blind Mush if she kept it up much longer. I chuckled and turned away to go sell.  
  
(A/N: YAY! I finally updated! Sorry it took so long! This week, teachers are piling on tests; I have FOUR FRIGGIN' tests in 4 days! Ughh. *_*)  
  
SOs!!!!!!!!!!!! (I am now just using nicknames in this cause it's a lot simpler)  
  
Sprite: If you got that hyper over just BEING in the story, you're probably going to pass out reading this one! (or at least, pass out quicker/ longer over it)  
  
Spark: Me too! I want my naptime back too!!! Waah!  
  
Slider: right. *backs away slowly* whatever you say. lol. You are notorious! (go vocab. words.. Not!)  
  
Mouth: As requested, I am updating! The thing w/ Shortie. yeah, I don't blame you for feeling torn.  
  
As soon as I can, I'm going to update again! 


	9. Chapter 8

*dream* "No! Stop, daddy! Don't hurt him!" No matter how hard I pleaded, he seemed not to hear me. He just kept beating Alex mercilessly, even though he was already unconscious. "You took my wife from me; I have every right to do this. You should be thankful it's him and not you! Now shut up, or it will be you!" All I could do was watch helplessly as he pummeled Alex over and over, until I couldn't help it, and I screamed "STOP!!!" He stopped, only to turn menacingly to me. I tried to run, to hide, to do something, but my feet seemed to be glued to the floor. He advanced on me, grabbing a knife, slashing at me until everything went black. *end dream*  
  
I woke up suddenly to Slider shaking me. My throat was sore and I was soaked in sweat.  
  
"Hey, you ok? Ya were screaming, and if it had gone on any longer, ya would have woken everyone else up." That would explain the sore throat.  
  
"Yeah. I'm ok now, but I was having a horrible dream. My dad was beating Alex, and he was unconscious, and he started beating me, and-" she cut me off.  
  
"It's okay, Fire, he's not gonna hurt you any more. Listen, I'm guessing you're not gonna be getting back to sleep anytime soon, and I'm not very tired. You wanna go up on the roof and talk?" I nodded in tacit (A/N: tacit! lol) agreement, and we silently made our way out the window to the roof.  
  
We sat in silence for a few minutes, then I took a deep breath and started. "You remember Alex, right? How he ran away?" When she nodded, I continued. "Well, I didn't really tell you the truth about why he left. My dad, he used to beat us. The reason I didn't tell you was because he warned us that if we ever told anyone about it, he would kill us, slowly and painfully. With most people, you would just figure he meant not to tell anybody, but he was dead serious. (No pun intended!) I was reliving one of those times, right before Alex left. He- he just kept beating him, even after he was unconscious, and when I tried to make him stop, he came at me with a knife, and he didn't stop until I blacked out. Actually, I doubt he stopped then." She winced in sympathy, and I continued.  
  
"After Alex ran away, he stopped beating me, but just recently, he started beating me again. Every night, he came home drunk, and he would take out any anger from that day on me. I still have scars from it, and this is the first time they've actually had a chance to heal. Every time I thought they were starting to heal, he opened them up again. My whole back is pretty much one big scar. I would have run away before now, but he kept me locked up during the day, and he's a light enough sleeper that trying it at night would be futile. I only escaped because he forgot to lock the door one morning."  
  
She was silent for a few minutes, then tentatively asked, "Do you know anything about where Alex is now?"  
  
"The only thing I know about that is that he said he would try to stay in either Manhattan or Brooklyn. That's actually part of the reason I'm here; to try to find him."  
  
She immediately responded with "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."  
  
"Thanks Slider. Not just for that, but for listening. I think I'm gonna go back to bed now. Ya comin'?"  
  
"No, I think I'm gonna stay up here for a while. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I had been part of the LH for a week when Blink brought us the news that Brooklyn was hosting a party the next night, and we were invited. I had heard about past Brooklyn parties from the other girls, but that wasn't the only reason I was excited; finally, I would get a chance to look for Alex there!  
  
The next day, I was so excited, I could barely sell, and still had twenty papes left by lunch. I barely managed to sell them later, but I finally sold the last one and sprinted back to the LH. When I opened the door to the bunkroom, the first thing I heard was Mouth asking me what had taken so long. I laughed.  
  
"Sorry, had trouble finishing selling. I'll be ready in just a second, though!" A minute later, I rushed back out and we were on our way to Brooklyn at last.  
  
(A/N: short, I know, but its either this or wait even longer for a long chapter!)  
  
SO's:  
  
Sprite: Yes, you get Mushy! lol WAIT! If you passed out for days, you got to miss school! *frantically does happy dance* *nothing happens besides getting dizzy* damn  
  
Spark: Just wait, you'll see... here's a hint, next chapter is really busy! lol THAT SCIENCE TEST WAS THE SPAWN OF SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AFTER she curved it up majorly, I got a B-! Before, I think I got a C-! OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is EVIL!  
  
Slider: Umm... why am I evil? I agree about science, see spark's for science rant!  
  
Sami: Yay! I have a new reviewer! *does new reviewer dance* woah... *sways* pretty colors... anyways, thanks a lot for the compliments! Wait, does that mean I've actually RETAINED something from English class? *shudder* scary!  
  
I will try to update again soon! 


	10. AN

No, I haven't given up on this story, I've just had really, really bad writer's block. I am finally continuing though, and the next chapter should be up in the next month or so. I am hoping to finish before school starts, so it won't be too much longer!!! Pie!Muse: Of course, "not too much longer" could be several months/years/etc. Depending on how you look at it... Oh be quiet! Expect an update soon!!!  
  
SOs!!!  
  
Kate: yay, a new reviewer!!! thanks!  
  
Slider: hey sli! Yeah, I know, I am 2! One thing... how do u know they're the same person?  
  
Sprite: lol, Dizzy Lizzy! Hey, long time no see/ talk!!! Ok, I'm working on updating, now how about you?  
  
Mouth: hey goil!!! Ok, I will!!! Cya!!!  
  
Spark: ok, ok! lol *offers race!muse as peace treaty*  
  
~Fire~ 


End file.
